Also called: Prosthetist, Orthotist
Designs and fits artificial limbs and braces, including running blades for athletes.
They cast a patient's limb, build a custom brace or prosthetic, and fine-tune the fit. Some specialize in sports prosthetics, like running blades for Paralympic sprinters. It blends medicine, engineering, and craft.
Based on BLS orthotists and prosthetists, May 2024 estimates.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's in orthotics and prosthetics plus residency and certification.
Ways in: Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Orthotics & Prosthetics, Biomedical Engineering, Kinesiology.
Growing much faster than average (about 11% over 10 years). Much-faster-than-average growth projected.
Low risk for 10 years. 3D scanning and printing speed making devices; custom fitting and adjusting for each athlete stay human.
Classes: AP Biology, Engineering or CAD, AP Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-2091.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.